The hunt
by Nemesi
Summary: That was my entry for Kendra's Vampire Kensuke challenge...Something happen to Daisuke when he was a little child and now that he is a teenager, this 'something' will step in his way during his fight with the Emperor...


AUTHOR NOTES

AUTHOR NOTES = That was my entry to Kendra's Vampire Kensuke Challenge. This is an 'Alternate Universe fic' where…'something' happened to Daisuke before Digiworld and where they're all teenagers, now, even if they're still fighting the Emperor.

RATING = PG-13 for the bite scene.

DEDICATION = This fic is for Sylina. Sweet, kind and generous Sylina who died on the 13th June 2001. 

I'm crushed by her loss. I...don't know what to say, really. It's kind of strange, since I didn't got the chance to know her very much -and that's something I'll always regret- but the few times we communicated she seemed so kind...I liked her personality a lot. Open and kind. 

But the fact that we weren't close friends is completely past the point. 

It's terrible to loose someone so abruptly. To chat with them one day and then find out they're gone few days after. It's strange, sometimes, you don't notice how important something –or someone is for you. It may go away before you have a chance to do anything about it. 

And Sylina was gone before I could do anything. 

My first reaction after knowing about her death was to wish it wasn't true. It took me several minutes to process that message. And several more to accept what I had just read. My eyes are watering and I'm angered 'cause I've been told that her parents couldn't care less that she was dying...but I'm not reacting in any other way than feeling like I do. I honestly think nothing one can do or say can be enough. What matter is how you feel inside, not the way you show your sadness. Every one react in a different way when forced to face scary things. Death, pain, loss. But every way is as good as the others. There's not a right and a wrong way to react, but I can't help but wish I could react in a better way than just stay here, with my eyes burning and my chest throbbing. And no matter how the tears burn, I can't actually cry. 

But I know we've to go on. She didn't want us to be sad. Do you remember when she posted the message where she told us about her health condition? She was worried about *us* and her fics and *not* about herself. She didn't want us to worry, or to be sad. I will be, though, but I'll go on. She died peacefully, surrounded by her friends, and her death just freed her form all the pain she was trapped in. She's in a better place, now. She isn't hurting anymore. And that's a comfort somehow. 

I want to do something for her, though. I really do. And the only thing I can do for my friend is dedicating her this fic, since she really loved Vampire Kensuke fic…. 

So Sylina, in whichever Paradise you're now, this is for you 

Miss ya. 

Ne-chan.

The hunt 

It was midnight of a unusually warm night when the young man started to explore the dark wood. 

The full moon was shining glumly in the velvet dark sky, bathing the land beneath in a gentle silver glow, but only deep shadows greeted him as he took his first step inside the forest. A shadow in the shadows he was. 

The slightly humid air that was there kissed his moonlight colored skin and caressed his inky-black hair, bringing him a sense of pace. 

Something he had sought since the day he was reborn as a creature of the night. 

His dark eyes darted among the shadowed trees as he stretched out his fingers one after one, in a nearly unconsciously gesture, trying to get rid of the sleepy feelings in their tips. Slowly he reached a large field, so beautiful it could take every mortal's breath away. As far as eyes could see there were sweet violets, glimmering in silver under the moonlight. The quiet whisper of the nearby stream added to the scenario a note of surreal beauty. 

His respiration was quiet and regular, despite the excitement that was rushing inside his depths, and seemed to be pacing itself at the same rate as the wind's soft whisper. 

A breath for a breath. 

A life for a life. 

God, it was all so simple. 

His life was other people's death. 

His breath was bringer of doom and pleasure at the same time. 

So simple. 

He was an hunter and out there, hidden somewhere in the shadows there was his still unaware victim. 

Dark clouds hovered leisurely above his head, blocking out the moon and the brilliant stars that were hypnotized on looking at him, attracted by his perfection just as the moth is dangerously attracted by the flame. For that's what he was. 

Flames of passion filtered by a mist of coldness. 

And he was just as perfect as he was lonely. 

Perfection isn't allowed to waste itself with mere commoners. 

He felt a small droplet roll down his pale cheek.  
Was it a teardrop?  
No, it was a raindrop.  
Looking up into the sky, the young man saw the tin raindrops falling tentatively toward him as to extinguish the burning flames inside him.  
Cold water dripped off his chin and he lifted his head up, smelling deeply the aroma of wet grass and drenched soil. He parted slightly his lilac lips, letting a few drops of water flow in. 

  
Rain. 

  
He glanced down at his hands. They said rain wash sins away. 

If that's so, why his hands were still curled claws, soaked with blood, then? 

He didn't even try to deny it as he returned in his previous position, reaching his hands out to let the rain wash the blood away. But the blood won't go away. 

It just wouldn't go away.  
  


He stood there, motionless, as the rain gradually soaked every inch of his flawless body.  
His hair were completely drenched with water and blowing fluently in the wind when he opened his eyes. As soft noise, like a little muffled whisper had reached his ear and he didn't need to look around to know that someone was there with him. 

Slowly, he raised his hands to release his cloak and soon it slithered to the ground as soft as a feather. The man suddenly looked quite a bit less like a spirit of the night, and more like a common human being. Unconsciously licking his lips as he smelt the aroma of soft, young flesh, the man took a step forward, his big, violet eyes narrowed and glowing in the dark. 

His delicate hands curled and positioned themselves at his sides. His neck stretched and he leaned forward to look into the deep vegetation in front of him. 

The excitement of these preparationshad somewhat interfered with his usual lucid brain and now he was moving almost completely on instinct and wasn't consciously responsible for his actions anymore. That's why he was utterly stunned when the little body, his designed prey, jumped out the bushes and tugged to his leg. 

The young man's eyes widened and stopped to glow, his delicate fingers relaxed as he looked down at the little one. 

His 'aggressor' looked up as well and soon the vampire was looking in the deepest pools of mahogany he had ever seen. 

They both let out a soft whimper when their eyes met; but while the vampire's eyes were wide in surprise, the boy's ones were deep and warm, and danced and sparkled in the shadows. The little redhead was grinning goofily, gripping the fabric of the man's pant in one little fist. 

Before the vampire could recover, the little boy trapped his legs in a bear hug and didn't seem willingly to let go. He stood still, rejoicing in his little success to have find someone in the dark night to hold to. After a few moments he looked up, pleased to see how the handsome man in front of him looked uncomfortable. 

"HI!" he squealed as he made a little jump, rubbing himself against the man's legs. 

Stunned as he was, it was amazing to see how fast the dark haired man knelt down in front of the kid, his silky hair whipping around his pale face. The chocolate brown eyes blinked at him when the two were at eye level and the vampire was surprised to see the little face lit up in a smile. 

"Who are you?" he asked in a breath. The kid's eyes widened as if he was shocked the other didn't know him. Then, with all the innocence of his young age he blinked and let out a little cry: 

"I'm Daisuke!!!" 

"Aren't you scared of me…?" he asked as he noticed how the child's hands were now placed softly on his forearms. The brown haired boy shook energetically his head, the smile still on his lips. 

"Why?" 

Daisuke just shrugged and replied: "You're cute." 

It's amazing to see how for little children what's good is always something nice-looking. And the dark figure in front of Daisuke was so beautiful to make his heart ache, leaving the little boy with not even a single doubt about his good nature. The vampire pulled away a little as if the boy's answer had startled him. Daisuke noticed this and hurried to repeat his statement. "You're cute!" 

Seeing how the man wasn't replying anything, Daisuke grew impatient and moved his hand to finger his cheek. The young man didn't want to be touched, so he pulled away again. He wanted to tell the boy he didn't like to be touched because touches brought pain but he couldn't, cause when he looked into those deep, sparkling brow eyes he knew he that he had to…no, that he wanted…*needed* to let those little fingers touch him. He forced himself to hold still and Daisuke passed his slim, little fingers all over his features. Then, his fingertips brushed gently his cheekbone and stopped under one of his eyes. 

"Your eyes." He said "They're as dark as the sky at night…and they move as water!!" he paused, as if reconsidering what he had just said. "I like the sky and I like the water!!" He concluded with a bright grin. 

Then his hand moved up the purplish hair and run through it, causing a cute amazed look to appear on Daisuke's face. The man's hair…it slid trough his finger like water!! And was so soft he couldn't compare it to anything he knew. "…like water…" he whispered. 

The vampire suddenly jerked away, leaving the little Daisuke to blink cluelesslly. Little he knew that his soft touch had been enough to bring a tempest into the man's heart. 

"What are you doing here?" he snapped. "Don't you know it's dangerous to wander through the forest late at night?" 

Daisuke's little cheeks colored as he grinned sheepishly. "Don't tell anyone, but I kinda…uhm…ah…well…wanted to…feel the night" he said as he scratched the back of his head in an ashamed gesture. 

This amused the vampire beyond belief. The little mortal was out in the shadows to feel them? The creature of light was curious about the depths of the darkness? But how could someone as alive as the boy in front of him want to experience the darkness and expect to enjoy it? 

He couldn't believe it. 

But then, hadn't the boy just felt the night when he had touched him, who was the Emperor of the night? And hadn't he just enjoyed it? Hadn't those deep eyes danced when the two of them had touched? Hadn't those pink lips turned into what humans call "smile" when their breaths had mingled? 

The vampire let out a snore as he turned away and moved toward the depths of the forest. "Go home." He snapped. And then he disappeared in the shadows, completely deaf to Daisuke's tiny attempts to call him back. 

The little boy's fate didn't concern him. 

He had better things to attend to. 

His hunt had began. 

* * * * * 

It was almost dawn when the vampire had finally satisfied his appetite. His hunt had left him in a state of utterly bliss. Inside his depths melted and mixed the excitement of the chase and the sadness he felt every time he took a life, rimmed with only the thinnest hints of the incomparable pleasure he took in it. 

He silently dried the thin trickle of blood which traced his jawbone on the left side as he approached the spot where he had left his cape. Taking slow, calibrated steps toward the cloak laying limply on the wet grass, he was surprised to see the little boy curled into the folds of his cloak, one of his little hands gripping tightly the soft cloth. Walking slowly toward the place where the little body laid, the vampire couldn't tear his eyes off the gentle features lightened with a thin lire of rainwater. 

Nearly unconsciously he took the boy in his arms and was greeted by a dreamy moan and by a pair of soft hands placing on his chest. 

Soon Daisuke's eyes fluttered open and he smiled gently up at the man who held him in his arms. 

"…you came back…" he stated, his voice dripping sweetness and serenity. 

The vampire found the corner of his lips curve in something you could call a smile as he whispered quietly into the boy's ear: 

"…you waited for me…?" Daisuke nodded slowly, his eyes linked with the handsome man's ones. 

Stunned, the vampire felt a tender feeling tremble lazily inside his stomach. Or maybe it could even be his heart. His pupils have dilated so that his eyes now were almost completely black, just a thin line of sparkling purple encircled the velvety dark holes. He had finally found the peace he had sought for all the eternity. 

Nuzzling closer to the man, Daisuke rubbed his cheek against his chest, sighing contently as he did. 

"…you came back…" he whispered again. 

The vampire lowered his mouth to Daisuke's head and when his lips brushed the soft hair, Daisuke let out a little moan and tipped his head back, so that the vampire's lips touched his forehead in a soft kiss. 

A thick fog was blurring his mind and almost unconsciously the pale-skinned young man lowered his head toward the soft symmetrical lines of Daisuke's perfect neck, left exposed when he had tilted his head. He brushed slightly his lips against his amber skin and the feeling he received back made his eyes grew wide. His whole frame shivered in expectation, while his breath left his mouth in a deep moan. His lips danced on the boy's neck, mouthing silently Daisuke's name over and over. 

The question "Is this right?" was hammering maddening in his head. 

If that was right, then why he felt so sad doing it? 

Was it wrong, then? 

But if it was wrong, why all his being longed for making the little boy his? To bound their souls together for all the eternity? 

Was it egoistic to damn the little, hopeful boy to a life in the shadows? 

Or maybe he was gifting him with the promise to held the innocence of his childhood for all the eternity? 

Maybe it was both. Egoism and altruism joined together…wasn't it the basic concept of love? 

Give to receive something back. 

Take something to give something else back. 

Placing a soft kiss on the boy's neck, the vampire trembled slightly at the contact and pulled away a little, his eyes moving from the little body in his arms to the first sunrays which peered from behind the mountains.He merely blinked before look down at the little boy. He was looking up at him and suddenly the uncertain feeling that had startled him so much at first was now perfectly clear. His lips curved in a brief smile, while the sudden love for the boy he held in his arms almost blinded him. 

"…I've to go…" he whispered quietly, his eyes suddenly saddening. Daisuke's mouth opened in shock and his fragile fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt in two little fists. 

"NO!" he cried as he shook frantically his head. A teardrop rolled down his cheek, and the vampire tenderly wiped it away. 

"I'll be back…" he replied, against Daisuke's forehead. "You'll have to wait, but I'll be back…" 

"…what…" he sniffled, the tears streaming freely out his burning eyes "What if you won't be able to find me?? What if you won't recognize me??" Daisuke threw his arms around the purple haired man's neck, sobbing as a beaten puppy against his shoulder. 

"I would recognize you everywhere, my beloved…" he whispered, moving his lips down toward Daisuke's neck. "But I'll give you something that will allow me to find you everywhere…" his whispers feeling like butterfly wings against Daisuke's hot neck. He teased the soft skin with the tip of his tongue before finally press his fangs gently against it. 

Daisuke's entire frame shook as he felt the bite. His heart and the one of his mysterious prince pounded in his ears together as one, lifting both of them into a sweet oblivion. Hot tears built up in Daisuke's brown eyes, but he fought them back, moaning loudly as he felt the blood rush quicker in his veins. His mind went blank and he had to fight the need to tighten his hug.

When he moved away, the vampire buried his face Daisuke's soft hair, inhaling his sweet scent, committing it to memory.

"Wait for me..." he whispered, and Daisuke looked up at him, his eyes glassy with pain. He fingered carefully the two holes on his neck and instead of fresh wounds he felt two little burning signs, imposed on his skin as a identification mark. He just nodded and the vampire's finger was against his lips in a tender touch. Daisuke's eyes went completely out of focus. His entire body became weak and, as if sleep had suddenly caught him, he was gradually losing the feeling all over his body.. 

"…Ken…" was the last thing Daisuke heard before fall into a deep, dreamless slumber. "…for you my name's Ken…" 

* * * * *

The mahogany haired boy was resting with his back against a tree, while the sun slowly lowered down the sky to touch the horizon. He had his right leg bend, his right elbow placed on his knee, the forearm hanging languidly. His other arm was placed on the ground, fingering the soft grass below. His right cheek touched softly his shoulder. His eyes shifting leisurely through the large field of violets whispering quietly in the soft breeze. 

He couldn't suppress a little sigh and his eyes moved from the flowers to the nearby stream. The ripped surface of the little streamreflected the sun light, sending light bows to play on his features, adding a gentle glow to his yet sparkling chocolate brown eyes. The sunshine which peeked through the little holes between the tree's leaves was dancing upon his brown head and his tan skinned face.

"…Ken…" the name slid out his lips effortlessly. 

The field he was in was the exact replica of the one where he had met his dark prince. If it hadn't been all a dream, that's it. 

That night of ten years before, when he was still a kid, he had felt something call him from the depth of the shadows and following his heart, he had been conduced in that breathtaking field of flowers, where a mysterious young man was waiting. Maybe he wasn't waiting for him, but yet he had welcomed him. At first the purple haired man had refused to stay with him, but then he had come back. He had hugged him and made him his with only a soft kiss on his forehead. And from that moment on, the amber-skinned had been waiting for him to come back. 

Every day he would come there, with every weather, waiting. Under the sun, the clouds, the falling snow, the storm…just waiting. But he had never seen his beloved again. 

Daisuke shook slowly his head, closing his eyes. 

This isn't the real world He silently reminded himself This is the digital world, Daisuke. He can't be there…he just *can't*. 

Releasing his breath in a deep sigh, Daisuke tossed gently his head in a frustrated gesture. 

Usually boys like him spend their time drooling after some girl –and truly he did that, too – and *NOT* waiting the prince charming!!!! That was something *girls* do. But Daisuke's deepest heart's desire was to be reunited with his prince. 

"DAISUKE!!!" Daisuke's head snapped up, his heart leaping in his throat only to come back in its right place in his chest few seconds later. 

"T.M." He said as he rested his back against the tree once again. 

"WOW! Now I'm trademarked?" The blonde boy grinned as he made himself comfortable next to his friend, satisfied that he had let himself open to that. They stayed silent for a moment, till T.K. couldn't hold it anymore. "Who is?" 

"Who is who?" 

"The one you love!" T.K.'s simple answer has been enough to make Daisuke jerk away from the tree as if burned. 

"WHAT?!" 

"C'mon!! You dropped too much hints! So, who is the lucky one??" 

Daisuke groaned "You came all this way only to ask me *this*?" 

"Let's put it this way: I just wanted to tell you everything is ready at the camp but you were nowhere to be found; and seeing you like this I couldn't stop from asking!!!!" replied his former rival. 

"No one." Daisuke rolled his eyes. 

"So, it's not Hikari-chan…" 

"Are you coming?" Came Hikari's voice from behind them. 

"Sure!" Daisuke replied as quickly as he could and darted to her side, hiding behind her from Takeru's piercing blue gaze. 

"We destroyed all the spires in this area, so what will be tomorrow's target?" Iori said, looking away from the glimmering water of the stream. 

"Kill the Emperor, what else?" Miyako replied, evidently angered. "We've to get rid of that disgusting monster!! That-that…that vampire who is draining our energy away!!!!" she waved her hands as she let herself fall down on a bunch of soft leafs. The others chuckled, leaving Daisuke to wrestle with himself whether to chuckle or not. Luckily his friends weren't paying attention to him, so he wasn't forced to come to terms with his feelings toward the "vampires". 

Something big is going to happen soon. I know it. Daisuke thought and suddenly his head snapped up. I don't know what it is, but...something *big* is going to happen 

"What…?" Hikari blinked quizzically up at him and Daisuke realized he had expressed his thoughts aloud. 

"Something big is going to happen…" he replied a little louder. 

"But what…" Takeru stepped closer but Hikari's scream stopped him. 

"DAISUKE!!" She cried as she dashed to his side "Your neck his bleeding!!!" she cried as she began her search for a tissue in her pocket. Daisuke's hand moved to his neck and he wasn't too surprised when he touched the warm liquid that streamed down the little holes on his neck. 

"What's that odd wound?" Iori asked as he stepped closer to examine the two little holes from which Daisuke's blood leaked copiously. 

"It's a mark." He replied as he brought his fingers close to his face, his eyes hooked to the ruby liquid that leaked from them. "Just a mark…" he looked up at them, his hand pressed onto the mark, the shadows created by the tree giving him a mysterious, nearly scaring look. Hikari found difficult even to swallow and took a little step backward. 

Miyako, before anyone could stop her, stepped forward, throwing tens of question at her leader. 

"A mark??" she cried. "What do you mean?? What kind of mark?? Who did it to you?? And why? When??" 

Daisuke rolled his eyes: "You talk to much…" 

"WHAT??" 

"…who did this to me…soon will come back to took me away." He said, as if she hadn't spoken at all. 

"Hmm…" Miyako looked around, a thoughtful expression showed over her features, before laid her eyes back on him. "Are you saying they will took you away even from your duty as a digidestined?" Daisuke remained silent, but a faint smile tugged up the corner of his lips. 

"DAISUKE! You can't be serious!" T.K. suddenly snapped. "And what will be of the Digiworld if our team split up??" 

Daisuke relaxed and laid his back against the tree, his arms folded across his chest. "I just want to be with him…everything else doesn't mind…" then he tilted his head up, looking at the sky trough the holes between the tree's leafs. 

"H-him?" Takeru took a step back. Daisuke had never been so serious. At least not when he was saying such nonsense. 

Everyone stared at him with wide eyes. Daisuke looked back at them, and he blinked at them as if was seeing them wearing clown outfits.

"What!?" he yelled after a pause, evidently back to his normal self.

Miyako shook her head and stomped away toward the camp they had made up. Daisuke blinked again, and cast a questioningly gaze at Takeru, who dismissed everything with a simple shrug.

* * * * *

It was well past midnight and he was still standing there. In the field of flowers he had created to remind him of his beloved Daisuke. He couldn't believe it had happened ten years before. It seemed like yesterday. Closing his eyes he could picture the big eyes shining in the little face. Smelling the air he could still smell the sweet scent of Daisuke. Paying attention he could still hear Daisuke's voice, quiet and transparent, echoing in the whispers of the wind.

…you came back…

"you came back…" he breathed as he cracked his eyes open,regarding the night with a dark, glassy desire.

He had never realized it but, that place…that place was beautiful.

It's strange how, sometimes, when you don't notice something that's right in front of you, it may go away before you have a chance to do anything about it.

Or it could be a person.

A person that was really important to you.

You could have had so much to tell.

And in an instant flash....you're apart from them.

That has been his love for Daisuke.

An unexpected feeling which had trembled slightly inside him, till it had settled his heart on fire.

And before he could do anything he was whishing the boy to be his.

But then again, before he could even speak, they had been forced to be apart.

By the sun.

By the light.

By his being a vampire.

Livid clouds were gathering lazily above him and the air was getting chilly as he stood there. His breathe was leaving his mouth in soft little puffs as he wrapped his cloak closer to his body and stared out in the dark sky. He could see the moonlight dancing trough the clouds. The Kaiser drew back his lilac lips in a growl, inhaling sharply trough his grinned teeth, his sharp canines shining silver in the moonlight.

While he was looking on them, the clouds had turned to a cold tone of iron. A cold breeze had raised. The river kept whispering his soft promises to be carried away by the wind, while everything else in the digital lands stood still. The air became lighter and the moonlight began to fade.

The hunt was about to begin.

The Kaiser's eyes grew wide and glowed in the darkness. His breath sharpened and every muscle in his body become rigid with anticipation.The Kaiser let loose a generous moan, a low and ragged sound surging from the depths of his throat.

He whispered.

And his voice flew trough the night…

Limpid and transparent, chilling in its beauty…

It flew like a lugubrious silver bird…

Then, suddenly, it stopped.

Just to resound once again after a few seconds, floating in the shadows…

Reaching the Digidestined's ears…

And forcing one to start to walk.

Yes.

The hunt had begun.

Ken's long, slender fingers were dancing in the air as he licked his suddenly dry lips, the low whisper still escaping his mouth. It was then that the noise of gentle footsteps reached him from behind. He smiled. An evil grin which curved the corners of his lips in a sudden rush of excitement. He turned slowly and looked at the girl walking unsurely toward him, her eyes darkened, her head dangling.

"…Hikari…"

The hunt had begun, indeed.

After he had swept the dark glasses off his pale face and flung them across the ground, he walked around her slowly, hate and jealousy shining in his dark eyes. She was the one that had all of Daisuke's attention. She was the one that had dared to steal Daisuke's heart from him.

A smile twisted by grief -- or maybe it was sarcasm -- played on his lips as he slowly cupped Hikari's chin with one gloved hand.

"Now…what can I do of you…?" his voice held an edge of satisfaction at that. The digidestined had *never* spent the night in the Digiworld. And he surely didn't want to waste his chance to get rid of the girl. He slowly looked her up and down with nothing else but hate flashing in his eyes. The Kaiser made his target pretty obvious, by gripping his hands around her white neck and immediately Hikari's eyes flashed wide open and her mouth hung open, while a high gulp slid out her lips.

The next moments seemed to last an eternity for the now conscious child of light, as moments like that are inclined to do. As her eyes darted frantically around, realization sank inside her, first with the sudden acknowledge of the fact the Kaiser was with her, and then with the studding certainty that the slightly older teen would, indeed, kill her without a second thought, and no matter what she tried, that was going to be her end. She could feel Ken's hands tightening around her neck and she blinked a few times, her vision suddenly blurred.

She needed air.

Soon everything went black and her arms fell loosely at her sides, while her head tipped back.

Air…

"LET HER GO!"

The sudden yell caused Ken's hands to lose their grip and Kari slumped down at his feet, her chest raising and falling painfully slowly.

She was still alive.

Ken's head snapped up and his eyes widened as he saw Daisuke in front of him.

He wasn't a child anymore. His once little and rather plump childish body had grew up in the well built, yet graceful, slender body of a teenager. They seemed to be the same age, now.

A small breeze flew past the two of them, ruffling their hairs and tugging playfully at their clothes. A lock of dark hair flew into Ken's gorgeous purple eyes, but it didn't seem to bother him. He was beautiful…attractive beyond words. His features were regular, so gentle and handsome at the same time, a mixture of what is attractive in a man and what is in a woman.And his eyes…his eyes were something so beautiful Daisuke didn't know how to describe them. He had never seen the Kaiser's eyes without the heavy shades to block the sigh, but he *knew* he had already felt those eyes on him…but flashing which such different emotions…tenderness instead of hatred.

Love instead of hate.

Daisuke's control started to fade and his every coherent thought fled from his mind.

His mouth moved a little but nothing come out.

Shacking his head, Daisuke tried again, this time succeeding on finding his voice back.

"Leave her alone…she doesn't belong to you, Kaiser…"

Ken's purple eyes widened for a brief moment, before narrow again into two glowing slits. "…no?"

What did that mean? That she belonged to *him*?

"No, she doesn't belong to you…" Daisuke shook slowly his head. Then, his voice resounded firm and low after a minute of

extreme silence. Daisuke closed his eyes and tilted his head as he raised a hand. He grabbed the collar of his jacket, pulling. "But I do."

Daisuke's hand had just clasped the collar of his jacket, when around it formed a gentle pressure. His head shoot up and he was shocked when he found the Kaiser's face right in front of his, smiling only for him, his two pale purple eyes gazing deeply into his own. 

"There's no need to show it to me…" his voice slid out his lips as an hoarse whisper. "I would recognize you everywhere, my beloved…"

"So, it was you all along…" Daisuke whispered, his eyes filling with tears. Ken reached up and brushed a slender finger across Daisuke's cheek. The brown haired boy put his hand up, closing it about the other's hand, and turned his head to kiss his long fingers gently, his eyes never leaving his. As if burned, the Kaiser dropped his hand quickly and a ripple appeared in his deep eyes.

"We're enemies…"

Daisuke shook his head slowly. "…you came back…" he whispered. He had come back, that was all that mattered to him, right now. There was no more any destiny, any war. They weren't the Digimon Kaiser and his archrival, the leader of the digidestined. They were only Ken and Daisuke. Nothing else.

Ken looked away, fixing his eyes to the glittering wet grass below. "What do you want to do, now?" he murmured so quietly that Daisuke first thought he had just imagined it. "After everything that happened…do you still want to be with me? I enslave Digimon, I torture them, I try to take over the world I…I dry people's life…I drink their blood in order to survive."

"…" Daisuke looked down as well, his mind racing; and Ken couldn't stop the bitter smile who graced his lips as he spoke: he had been a fool letting himself believe Daisuke would have said 'yes'.

"It can't be nothing but like this…we're enemies…" He was about to turn and walk away when, all of sudden, Daisuke threw himself at Ken, gripping the front of his jumpsuit tightly into his fists.

"…take me with you…" he whispered, bringing his lips up to Ken's neck. "...I...just can't handle it anymore…I...can't handle being alone anymore!! No one loves me…no one have ever cared for me…or comforted me…liked me at all…only you…Ken…take me with you…everywhere you'll decide to go…everywhere…just with you…" Ken barely flinched and his mouth went dry. 

"Look." He ordered in a quiet whisper and Daisuke couldn't help but do what he had asked him to do. "Look at the shadows that surround me…"

And Daisuke looked up…

around Ken, surrounding his tiny body there were…

shadows.

Liquid shadows...dancing and twisting...burning…waving…in a word - alive.

And the dark mass was longing for Daisuke. It was calling him without speaking.

Its claws dug deep into his flesh without touching him.

He was paralyzed.

Ken tenderly cupped his cloak around the two of them, as a barrier to protect his beloved from the shadows.

"Everywhere I'll go the shadows will be with me…" he looked down at Daisuke and found that he was looking up at him, his eyes shining with tears. "Everywhere we'll go…the only thing that will wait for us…is the darkness…"

A trembling smile creeped up Daisuke's lips. "But we'll be together…"

Without another word, Ken finally kissed his beloved on his lips...he had wanted to do so for so long, now.

His lips were like water to his eager mouth. He couldn't survive another minute without taste them...they were sweet and soft. Daisuke fell into a state of utterly bliss. Ken's lips were hot and demanding... yet gentle. Ken's tongue probed into his mouth and explored it hungrily, as to claim him as his. Ken's hands trailed up from his back to his hair and then down to cup his chin. 

Daisuke immediately kissed Ken back, sucking gently Ken's tongue before let his own explore his inner cheeks, tilting back his head to offer himself up to the boy who was holding him.

Take me his body was saying without words. I'm yours.

Ken's left hand left Daisuke's soft cheek and went down to grab the collar of Daisuke's white shirt and he pulled it down over his shoulders, ripping the light fabric. His lips slowly pulled away from Daisuke's and the brown haired boy threw his head back, panting, leaving his throat wide open and helpless. Ken's lips moved over Daisuke's neckand when his beloved let out a low moan which vibrated against his lips,Ken arched his back in sudden pleasure.

Almost simultaneously, Daisuke's hands were around Ken's back and were pinning his body against his own.

And when Ken's tongue darted out his mouth to taste his skin, he couldn't help but moan, rocking his body against Ken's.

Daisuke sucked air in through his grinned teeth as he waited for the bite which, however, never came.

Chocolate brown eyes opened and looked blankly at Ken who was kneeling down in front of his beloved, one knee up while the other down. He trailed his hands down to Daisuke's hips and smoothed them down his thighs.

Ken grinned wickedly as he nudged Daisuke's legs apart and rolled his short up his right leg to trace tiny little circles with his nails in the soft flash of his inner thigh.

"Here, my beloved…" he whispered. "Here is where I'll drink the life from my mate…"

A cry was caught in the digidestined's throat as Ken lifted his right leg over his shoulder and placed tender kiss on the soft skin. Daisuke's heart began to race with nervousness and his body was trembling in way he had never experienced before.

Then, suddenly, Ken's long fang were inside his soft flesh.

At first it was nothing else but pain, but very soon white waves of pure pleasure washed it away. His hands clutched the head below him, low moans the only thing that could escape his lips.

With Daisuke's hand clutching his hair and his sweet, intoxicating scent fogging his nose, Ken was acting completely on instinct. Soon everything around him faded away. The field of violets, the stream, the moon, were chased away from his mind, now focused on a single thought: Daisuke.

Suddenly, the object of his affection moaned, a low, long, dreamy sound surging from deep within his throat.

"…Ken…" he whispered as his head started to whirl, his voice reduced to a whisper. It was like roughened silk, like textured satin. Something was stinging the back of his eyelids and soon two huge tears flowed out the corner of his mid-closed eyes.

He was shocked at his own respiration, which seemed to be pacing itself at the same rate as Ken's.

A breath for a breath.

Ken hugged Daisuke tighter, feeling their hearts beat together at the same exact pace.

A life for a life.

He seemed to be hypnotized in keep drinking and the sound of his heart pound together with Daisuke's as he resounded in every fiber of his body surely didn't help. Daisuke's strong, burning heart was quickly boosting his pace, screaming as loud as a thunder:

I'm alive. And I'm yours.

over and over.

I'm alive. I'm yours. I'm alive. I'm yours.

The strong heartbeat pounded in his ears for what seemed like an eternity, forcing his body to move at its steady rhythm.But when it slowed down and quieted, Ken frowned slightly, even if he enjoyed the way he could finally ear Daisuke moan perfectly. He was shivering against his mouth, but it felt almost as if Daisuke's body has become an extension of his own. Like if his own body was shivering. And truly it was.

Soon Ken moved away, a tiny stream of Daisuke's blood tracing its way down his chin. Daisuke sleepily looked down at his long awaited Dark Prince, and his eyes were glazed with pain. His dangerously quick breath was slowing down and he had to kick his way up from the sweet oblivion he had been submerged when Ken had bit him, to force himself to breathe normally. The dark skinned teen, who had lost all his force, fell on his knees and nuzzled closer to his beloved. Blood was pouring out from both the bite on his inner thigh and the mark on his neck, while a crystal tear trailed down each of his cheeks. He felt dizzy and light-headed. His vision was blurry and every sound reached his ears muffled and softened.

But most of all he felt good. He felt relaxed and in peace with everything around him.

Ken softly enclosed his beloved in a tender hug, his lips brushing slightly his cheek.

"I can't do this…" Ken whispered against Daisuke's cheek. "I can't make you like me…"

"…do it…" came the soft reply.

"I can't." he replied, shaking slowly his head.

There he was; the worst sinner in the eyes of God – a vampire – was now a sinner in the eyes to the ones like him too.

Cause he loved.

He loved, and he loved enough to let his beloved go.

To save him from the flames of hell that burns the damned like him.

To silently bear to be apart from him.

Daisuke reached up, capturing Ken's lips in a fierce kiss, where he could taste his own blood inside the other's mouth. "…do it…" he said as their lips parted. Then he kept placing soft, butterfly's wing kisses on his lilac lips. "…do it…" he would say every time he pulled away. "…do it…"

Ken succumbed at last, and histormented purple eyes met his liquid brown ones. Daisuke was now looking at him with such an intensity to make him shiver.

"…I…can't…" came his hesitant reply.

"You can only love someone, if you allow yourself to be loved." Daisuke whispered. "Do you love me?" Ken, despite of his usual coldness nodded, much to Daisuke's pleasure. And his eyes sparkled as he spoke again. "Then let me love you. Let me be with you. Let me be just *like* you." There was such a force, such a determination vibrating in that voice that Ken didn't know how to react if not by staring.

He looked deeply into his soft, chocolate brow eyes, dancing like water and rippling for joy. He remembered those eyes…deep pools of brown with just a tiny hint of golden sparkling in their depths. His eyes had haunted him for countless sleepless days and nights. Along with his scent.

On instinct, Ken reached forward and, running a hand trough Daisuke's hair he buried his face in it, smelling deeply.

I don't deserve him. he thought.He was too dangerous, with all his demons, all his desperation, his bitterness. He was lonely, he was self-destructive, he was *dangerous*.

But he was happy.

Because Daisuke, who could make any girl –guy-'s life heaven on earth by just smiling at them, was now smiling at *him*.

And nothing could make him happier.

Daisuke silently observed the emotions that played on his pale face. Through his purple eyes, trough every feature, he could see that he was a tormented soul. His whole frame radiated his sorrow, rejection and loneliness…and yet kindness. His whole frame radiated his longing for someone who would listen to him. And now, for what concerned Daisuke, he had found someone, someone who, though different ways, experienced the same loneliness, the same pain.

He was the feared Emperor;The devil who drained the life of innocents to survive.

And he?

He was Daisuke.

The unwanted little Daisuke. The not-followed leader of the digidestined.

No one had ever been able to see through the masks they wore to see who they really were.

But the tormented creature of the night had now someone who would take care of him and love him, and at the same time, the rejected leader had found someone to protect him and care for him.

Now, they had each other.

Now, if Ken will allow it, they will have each other forever.

Without hesitation their lips locked again in a sweet kiss, and when Ken pulled away it was only to open his jumpsuit and draw a line trough his chest with his nail. A line which started to bleed.

Daisuke pushed Ken down on the wet grass below and followed him, his brown eyes never leaving his purple ones, which had started to match the now clearer sky.

Despite of the dark clouds and the wind that had rocked the sky for the entire night, now, in the few minutes which preceded the dawn, everything stood still. There wasn't any wind to whisper trough the leafs. Even the stream seemed to be quieter. It was like time stopped for the two young lovers so that they could finally become one.

Placing his head down the soft grass, Ken trembled slightly, his eyes moving from the boy above him to the first sunrays which peered lazily from behind the mountains.He merely blinked prior to look down at Daisuke.

"…It's almost dawn…" he whispered hoarsely. "The sun is my damnation and your bliss…" he waited. He wanted to know if Daisuke was sure.

The brown haired boy didn't reply anything but lowered his mouth to the tiny stream of ruby blood which glittered in the mid-light on Ken's chest. Slowly, he licked it away, moving his tongue in lazy, little circles. Ken shuddered in anticipation, tensing up under his touch.

Daisuke felt a sudden rush of power inundate his body an soul. A radiant blue light flashed in his closed eyes and he grinned slightly his teeth, a soft groan escaping his mouth. He arched his back as he felt his canine grew a little bigger and a little sharper. Daisuke pressed his lips a little harder against the still bleeding cut and ran his hand through Ken's hair, caressed his cheek before laid his gloved hand on his shoulder, while Ken wrapped his arms around Daisuke's body and whipped his head back, one of his hands running trough his brown hair, clenching soft strands of it in his trembling hands. 

His lips moved down the trail of blood, which happened to have flowed down to Ken's left nipple. Daisuke could literally feel Ken's life pounding in his chest as his tongue darted out his mouth, his teeth teasing gently the soft flesh before his newborn canines bit it. He started to suck, drinking eagerly from Ken's chest as a newborn would do from their mother's. 

But then that's what he was. 

With his Ken's blood he had just reborn. 

Over and over again with every ruby drop which slid gently down his throat. 

With every single beat of his heart, at pace with Ken's now and forever. 

Daisuke stopped drinking, and Ken released him from his arms. The brown haired boy didn't move, though.He just stayed there, his head on his purple haired love's chest. One of his hands wandered up from Ken's neck to hishair and then down to his chest, where it stopped, as soon as he could feel his heart pounding beneath his damp palm. Ken let out a soft sigh, smiled, and returned his arms to where they were, around his beloved.

The sun tiptoed lazily up in the sky as if didn't want to scare the two lovers away. Its light came closer and closer to their bodies and set a burning feeling on their insides. As if fire were rushing inside them. As if water was filling their lungs. It felt like someone where squeezing them hardly from their insides. Their heads started to pound, as their lungs began to slowly shut down, making bright spots flash in front of their eyes.

"…light is our damnation…" Daisuke managed in a breath.

The light crawled agonizing slowly toward them.

"…light is our death." Ken whispered back, and reached for his hair, playing with it with his fingers.

The sunlight got brighter as the sun proceeded his domination over the sky. More light covered the forest, so that now only a tiny shadow projected from the tree above them was shielding the two from the burning light. 

The shadow took an painfully long amount of time to finally disappear from the ground. 

It didn't want to disappear. 

It didn't want to left the to new lovers exposed to the evil light. 

It didn't want to lose them so soon.

It knew that without it they would be unarmed, utterly vulnerable. 

The shadow refused to make room to the light. 

It couldn't. 

It just couldn't do it. 

But nothing is eternal. 

At least, nothing that dares to go against the Universe's rules is. 

Nothing that dare to challenge them keep living. 

So, soon, very soon, the shadow disappeared and the field of blue violets was now bathed in glorious light, danced by the wind and hushed by the whispers of the stream. 

* * * * *

Takeru's eyes fluttered open. He lazily sat up, blinking the sleep away from his still groggy blue eyes. His gaze moved through the camp as he yawned lazily, silently enjoying the warm sunrays on his skin. He shrugged his shoulders and stretched his neck, trying to get rid of the sleep. He blinked one more time and finally his vision adjusted.

Something…

Something was *wrong*.

He looked around and his eyes widened as he noticed both Daisuke and Hikari were nowhere to be found.

"HIKARI!" he cried as he stood up. "DAISUKE!!!"

Only the frustrated cries of a very shocked Gatomon and of a utterly worried Veemon answered him. He darted toward Miyako's sleeping form, roughly shacking her to consciousness.

"HIKARI! Where is Hikari??" he cried to the still sleepy girl.

"What…"

"Takeru?" the blonde boy whipped around and grabbed Iori's tiny shoulders.

"Hikari and Daisuke are missing!!" he cried while shacking the littler boy. His groggy eyes slowly widened as realization dawned on him. "Have you seen them?"

"Hikari?" he looked around. "Daisuke??"

Miyako shot up, her eyes wide and her breath quicker than normal. "Uhm…maybe…they're just gone…foraging?"

Takeru snarled and jumped up in his feet, frantically looking around.

Something was *wrong*.

A burning feeling trembled inside him and a little voice was screaming inside his head.

...hurry, hurry, hurry...

"Where is Daisuke??" Veemon cried. "Why can't I locating him?? I can't sense him!!!!"

"But I sense Hikari!" Gatomon suddenly cried. "Whatever was blocking me from finding her, now is gone!! I know where she is!!" Gatomon hastened down the tiny path that snaked trough the forest and Takeru immediately ran after her, unquestioningly.

"Come on!" he yelled back to Iori and Miyako. The two exchanged a glance before speed up after their friends.

Takeru kept on running, the voice on his head was now repeating two words over and over, like a tormenting mantra.

Too late…too late…too late…

Too late for what? he yelled in his head. Too late for *WHAT*?!

But the little voice offered him the same response:

Too late

Too late

Too late

And then he was there. The breathtaking sight of the endless filed of violets loomed before him.

The mist of morning had placed itself softly on the emerald grass, which was now shining, the little water drops capturing and reflecting the light. Within the field, glowing like a diamond, sneaked the glimmering stream, a brilliant splash of blue on the violet and silver glow of the flowers. The colors were all so gorgeous, so truly defined, burning his gaze.

"Takeru!!" Iori and Miyako jogged up at his side, panting hardly for the needed air, but Takeru didn't even open his mouth as kept staring at Hikari.

She was sitting in the middle of the field, her knees up to her chest, a fragile violet held loosely in one of her hands. Gatomon was curled at her side, rubbing her head against her human's leg. The gentle glow of the sun shone upon her, and she nearly glowed in the golden rays. She looked just like beautiful porcelain doll…but something was definitely wrong, cause the eyes of the shining angel were empty and far.

"HIKARI!!!" the bearer of the crest of hope screamed as he stumbled down the little hill and speeded up toward her. As he reached the girl he kneeled down next to her shaking form and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and he was shocked to read in her eyes the same phrase which was still whirling inside his head.

Too late

TOO LATE FOR WHAT???

Too late.

Hikari silently raised a shaky finger and when Takeru turned around he couldn't stop from hugging the girl tighter than ever. 

At first he could see nothing but then he saw it. 

At first it was only a faint glimmer, but then it brightened until he could see clearly the two little items. 

Under a tree, the exact same three under which Daisuke had rested the previous afternoon, placed on a dark rock, something painfully familiar was glittering under the sunrays. 

He couldn't suppress a little cry and his eyes slowly watered, even if he didn't know why. 

The sunshine which peeked through the little holes between the tree's leaves, alongside with the light bows reflected by the stream, was dancing upon them. 

The Digimon Emperor's glasses. 

And Daisuke's goggles. 

One near another, shining quietly under the soft, forgiving light of the sun, their soft glimmering contrasting with the dark rock below. 

Letting go of Hikari, Takeru shakily stood up and approached the tree, kneeling over the two shining items. 

He looked up to the little lake in which the stream ended. The broken reflection of the sunlight played upon his features for a little before he let his blue eyes shift trough the large field of violets, whispering quietly in the soft breeze. 

What had before seemed like a beautiful place, now became eerie. 

He looked down at Daisuke's goggles again. One single tears rolled down his cheek and splashed silently onto glass of his friend's goggles. 

He was shaking with sadness and anger. 

And he didn't know why. 

He cradled Daisuke's goggles, nearly expecting that after touching them, he would heard Daisuke yell at him to give them back. 

But nothing happened. 

No one spoke. 

He looked up at the lake again, gently picking Daisuke's goggles up…so gently it seemed he was afraid they might break.

He was about to stand up when his eyes fell on the Emperor's glasses. Unconsciously he reached out and pulled them up.

For an instant, he felt tens of emotions run like electricity up his spine, into his head, back down his chest and into his toes.

After a moment it was over.

And little he know that strong spark of electricity was all the sadness, the pain, the tenderness Ken and Daisuke had shared that night.

His legs seemed to follow their own will as they lead him toward the lake. He slowly knelt down to look into the water, eyes hooked to his broken reflection of the rippling mirror.

Daisuke would like it there… he thought as he carefully entered the lake. The water in the lake felt cold against his skin, but he didn't care. It bit his flesh, just as a chill wind was biting his soul, but the blue-eyed boy offered no other reaction than a deep shiver. A quivering crystal slid down his cheek, stinging her face and leaving a red trail behind. Another crystal drop followed the first and the another and another, until it was uncontrollable. 

Takeru slowly made it to the middle of the lake and carefully let Daisuke's goggles and Ken's glasses slip out of his cupped hands and into the water. He watched helplessly as they leisurely sank down the depth of the blue oblivion, where they would lie, undisturbed for eternity...

"…too late…" he whispered as he slowly made his way back to the shore, tears still pouring down his cheeks. "…too late…"

* * * * *

You know that dark powers exist.

Dark powers which operate beyond human's comprehension.

As leafs fell from a tree, humans' lives floats in the wind of fate, until an obstacle force them to a halt.

And it's in that single moment that everything stops to move.

Because nothing is eternal.

At least, nothing that dares to go against the Universe's rules is. 

Nothing that dare to challenge them keep living. 

There is a single thing which is eternal. 

Something that started before this world saw its first dawn. 

Something that will continue till this world will reach its last sunset. 

And maybe it will survive even after. 

When this world will reach its end, it would be waiting to go on beyond it.

And beyond...

And beyond...

'Cause the hunts never stops.

Oh, no, it never stops.

Can't you feel the eyes of the two creatures of night upon your body?

Sparkling brown and dancing purple watching your very soul?

Can't you feel their breaths against the skin of your neck?

Their long fingertips move gently upon your body?

Amber skinned ones cup around your cheeks from behind?

And moonlight colored ones running through your hair?

Can't you hear their soft whispers in your ears?

Swirl around if you want, but you won't be able to see them if they don't want you to.

Cause they're the hunters.

And the hunt never stops.

Oh, no, it just never stops.

=================

THE END.


End file.
